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Friday, 18 January 2013

Styling Details...

My Styling feature for You Magazine-Vintage Botanicals.

I'm so pleased to finally be able to show you some of my sketchbook ideas, prep work and final shots for my editorial piece in You magazine. It's been a long time since I did regular magazine work and it's great to see some of my work in print again.
After building up a bit of an on-line 'home-made' portfolio, I took my work in to the Interiors Editor Clare Nolan. We've both been in editorial styling for a fair few years(!) and had a good laugh at some of my older work, which now looks incredibly dated. After almost one year of taking my own shots for the blog, I've finally managed to gather together a fairly decent selection of pictures to show the magazines.

My project book at the beginning-starting to collect fabric and wallpaper samples to go with my sketches

Since having Evie and Gabriel ten years ago I've worked (very) part time on a mix of residential interior design and space planning, commercial styling for PR agencies and local Interior Design companies. It has all been fantastic experience and worked pretty well with the childcare/work balance, but last year I decided it was time to get back to my first love, magazines.
Looking through my portfolio at the time, I decided I wasn't happy to show my old work and there was nothing for it but to re-invent myself and start again from scratch! I really had no idea that stylists had their work on-line and as I had nothing current to show, I had no choice but to pick up our unused DSLR, which had been gathering dust for almost 5 years, and teach myself to take my own shots.

Before going in to see Clare, I had been putting together a few feature ideas, but kept coming back to vintage botanical. During our first meeting, we discovered that she had been planning an identical feature and so plans for our shoot started! The next stage was to find a photographer that Clare felt would suit the style of the shoot, pull together a few ideas sheets, then find a suitable location that would give a very moody vintage feel. I was thrilled when Catherine Gratwicke said she was free to shoot with me. We last worked together almost 20 years ago, we think possibly on a book for Murdoch publishing, but to be honest, neither of us can quite remember! Anyway, it was fantastic to work with her again and felt more like 5 minutes since we had last seen eachother. Take a look at her website, her work is beautiful.

During London Design Week, I was walking back to Old Street tube and on the way took a few Instagram snaps of some of my favourite Huguenot Weavers' houses in Spitalfields. The one that has always caught my eye you could say is the most delapidated in the street, but on the other hand, perhaps the most beautiful? Click on the Instagram link and tell me what you think! Anyway, this very house turned out to be the next location for our shoot-No 4 Princelet Street. Built in the early 18th Century, this truly incredible Georgian property has been preserved in it's original state, with just a few modern trappings, such as central heating, electricity and hot and cold running water! The house has appeared in countless film, TV and photographic shoots and has got to be my most favourite place ever to have done a shoot (thanks for the recommendation Cath!)

We shot the feature in late November-Winter shoots are notoriously tricky due to bad light and that day was no exception. Typically, the day before had been beautiful, but by 4pm our light had got so bad we couldn't manage any more shots- I had boxes of unused props left and still a ton of ideas-it was gutting! Huge apologies go out to those people I just couldn't get into the shoot (particularly Nordic Rose and HK Living-priority next time!!), something that happens so often, but I hate letting people down...Without the help of my two fantastic assistants that day, I wouldn't have achieved what we did and certainly wouldn't have left before midnight. By 7.30 pm we were finally done and out.

Anyway, you've seen the sketchbooks, the location, the on-line article. Here are the final shots. Huge thanks to Clare for taking a punt on an old-time stylist, Nicole at the office for handling nightmare deliveries and returns, Catherine for the beautiful shots and Robert for his wonderful location and being so helpful. Last, but not least to styling assistants extra-ordinaire Polly Ord and Tiffany Grant-Riley.

22 comments:

Absolutely stunning Caroline..congratulations to you and everyone involved with the shoot xxI had no idea such detail went into a professional shoot. Seeing your process was fascinating for me. Thank you so much for sharing xx

I can't tell you how much I love this. I love those houses, the colours and themes you chose, the final images, seeing your process. Brilliant! I am starting out in a creative career (mid-30s career change time!) and this was just wonderful to read. Love it!

Oh goodness, these are all so lovely! It is a real eye opener to see how much work goes into getting all the things together for a shoot like this. Just looking at all the cushions on that couch - if they were all from different designers - wow - that's a lot of co-ordinating. The shots certainly don't hint at anything of the lack of light or dullness of the day - they look luminous and lovely!I really like the big allium print and the one with all the vases. Inspiring stuff. Well done. It takes a lot of courage to get back out there. I'd say this was a stormin' success. Here is to more of the same in 2013!

Caroline a huge congratulations to be back in the game, how utterly inspiring you are! I love what you did, the moodboards you put together and the story of how it all came together. The shoot is gorgeous, I love moody dark photos, it can work so well and did with yours... Truly love the botanical prints you chose. Mel:)))

Congratulations Caroline! I love love love this blogpost as it shows how much work and preparation goes into a shoot. Wonderful to see your sketches beforehand, the gathering of materials... And great to see it all develop in the history of your blog, then culminate in your return to magazines with such an atmospheric feature. I'm looking forward to the next one!

I just can't get enough of these photos. I was mesmerized by them on yur instagram and I keep coming back to look at them. I love the fabrics although I'm missing one I saw on your instagram (just left you a note there).

About Me

Hi! I'm Caroline and I work and live with my family in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire. This is my on-line visual diary where I photograph my every-day thoughts and ideas. Every so often I'll report back to you on the latest press show, new product launch, designer or an interesting place that I have visited. I post when I can, in-between styling, interior design, creating moodboards and being a mum with 2 kids and 6 pets, so please excuse me if it's a bit sporadic, but most of all, enjoy!

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Please remember the contents of my blog are purely my own thoughts, comments or ideas. Any pictures, unless otherwise stated are Trend Daily copyright. You are very welcome to pin, blog or re-tweet them, but please do link back to my blog-thank you!